What to bring to Canada

Documents to bring

There are important documents you should be sure to have in your carry-on luggage as you travel.

All students

• UBC Confirmation of Enrolment Letter
  As proof you are a current, enrolled student, you must bring a current Letter of Enrolment. This letter should ideally be issued a week before you travel. View the step-by-step tutorial on how to download your Confirmation of Enrolment Letter in Workday.
• Advance Declaration (optional)
  You can bring your completed Advance Declaration on your phone or bring a printout.
• Passport
  Always keep your passport with you when travelling.
• Visa or eTA
  Depending on your country of citizenship, you will need a valid Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) — US citizens and US permanent residents are exempt.
• Proof of health insurance
  Bring proof of health insurance. This might include your MSP card, virtual iMED card, Global Campus Health Plan confirmation, or other basic insurance. See step 2: Before you travel to Canada for details. If your iMED card does not arrive in time for your travels, you can show them the iMED page with details on coverage.

Current students with study permits

In addition to the above list, all students continuing to study at UBC who already have a study permit must bring with them:

• Study permit
  
  • You need to have your original, valid study permit with you.
• Co-op work permit or work permit approval letter (if applicable)
  
  • You should also bring a letter from your co-op office or program. If you have one, you should also bring a current, valid job offer.
• Proof of funds for yourself and any accompanying dependents
  
  • We recommend your documents be issued within 30 days before traveling.  See proof of means of financial support for sample documents. If you have paid for tuition, view the step-by-step tutorial on how to download your Proof of Tuition Payment in Workday. There is no specific minimum amount required. However, ideally you would show you have access to:
    • If you applied for your study permit on or before December 31, 2023: at least $10,000 for cost-of-living for one year, plus $4000 for an accompanying family member, and $3000 per additional member
    • If you applied for your study permit on or after January 1, 2024: at least $20,645 for cost-of-living for one year in 2024. The amount required for additional family members depends on how many dependents you have. The cost-of-living amount will be adjusted each year based on Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off.
• Medical exam, if required
  • If you’ve been in a designated country for more than 6 months in the past year, are a medical student or will work in jobs which require a medical exam, bring a copy of your medical exam (“e-medical”) completed within 12 months before travelling.

New students and current students who need a new study permit

In addition to the above list, if you are a new student, or a current student who applied for a new study permit from outside of Canada, you’ll also need to bring:

• A Letter of Introduction
  
  • This is your electronic study permit approval, or Letter of Introduction.
• Your UBC Letter of Acceptance (new students only)
  
  • This is also known as your offer letter or Letter of Admission. If you are an undergraduate student, you can download this in your Applicant Service Centre (ASC). If you are a graduate student, you can download it from eVision. 
• Proof of funds for yourself and any accompanying dependents
  
  • We recommend you bring copies of the financial documents you provided in your study permit application. In addition, we recommend you to bring recent financial documents which are issued within 30 days before traveling and proof of tuition payment, if you have paid for tuition. See proof of means of financial support for sample documents. If you have paid for tuition, view the step-by-step tutorial on how to download your Proof of Tuition Payment in Workday.
  • The minimum expected proof of funds depends on when you applied for your study permit:
    • If you applied for your study permit on or before December 31, 2023: at least $10,000 for cost-of-living for one year, plus $4000 for an accompanying family member, and $3000 per additional member, as well as your first year of tuition fees and travel expenses.
    • If you applied for your study permit on or after January 1, 2024: at least $20,645 for cost-of-living for one year in 2024, plus your first year of tuition fees and travel expenses. The amount required for additional family members depends on how many dependents you have. The cost-of-living amount will be adjusted each year based on Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off. 
• Valid medical exam, if required
  
  • Bring a copy of your medical exam (e-medical) if you required one for your study permit application, or get a medical exam if your situation changed since you applied and you now require one. Your medical exam should be completed within 12 months before travelling. If it has been more than 12 months since you took your exam, you must take another medical exam before travelling.
• English language test results, if you have them
  
  • If you provided English language test results in your study permit application, bring a copy of your results, if applicable.

Other helpful documents to carry on the plane

• Driver’s license
• Medical or immunization records, including proof of COVID-19 vaccination(s)
• Marriage certificate and notarized copies
• Documents for dependents accompanying you: passports, birth certificates, children’s immunization, and school records
• National identity document from your country

What to pack

There are some things you cannot bring to Canada or will need to declare when you arrive, such as cash over CAD $10,000 and food or animal products.

Refer to Canada Border Services Agency’s visitors to Canada and restricted and prohibited goods for details.

Learn what to do if you plan to travel with your pet(s). 

Also, we recommend you bring snacks in case of a long wait upon arrival.

Medication

Keep your medication in your carry-on bag in its original packaging, along with a prescription from the doctor. If you are planning on bringing medication or health products with you, check that the quantity or type is not restricted. 

It’s a good idea to bring a copy of your medical records for you and the family members who travel with you. If you have a chronic medical condition, have your doctor write a short medical history, preferably in English, for your new doctor in Kelowna. Bring records including the dates of any immunizations and medical tests you have done.

The information on this page may change

The immigration information on this page has been reviewed and endorsed by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. However, this is not a legal document and information may change without notice. Always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information.

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